Anyone start their career late in Life?
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I would be happy to hear from anyone here that started their career late in life, perhaps Nursing is a second career. For a number of reasons, I am seriously considering changing careers, and for a... Read More

Aug 9, '12

That's very inspirational and your story motivates and inspire me to do more with nursing. I love this platform.

Aug 10, '12

Thanks, I needed this. I am 50 yrs.old and a displaced victim of calif. budget cuts. I had decided to go for RN pereq.s but now have been told that if I want WIA support that I must get into a vocation school now. Should I throw my community college RN dream away by eating up financial aid at a private for profit LVN school or swallow my pride and get cna/hha certified with students fresh out of high school and try to compete with them for a little more than minimum wage while chugging away on the side at the college pereq.s for RN? This college(VVC) doesn't have a LVN program but at least they don't take your financial aid(pell) like the lvn profit program here does. It is called 4 d college(previously 4 d success academy,wonder why they dropped the "success"?!)Scary situation...what to do. Any suggestions? Isn't 50 too old for cna? I could handle any age haters as a lvn I guess and certainly being a mature RN, but a CNA? Please be honest, they'll laugh at me won't they? I'm not up for that, it would be awful to be scoffed at that way. I don't know anyone in the nurse industry so your input is about all I got right now! Thanks alot. If there are cna's out there my age or beyond, please don't be offended as I actually think I would like it but one of my counselors left me feeling wierd about suggesting this kind of training for myself and I'm not sure why. He didn't like the LVN idea either(price is ridiculous) and said no to the RN program because I can't get in for a very long time. CNA, LVN or maybe cna/hha/phlebotomy together. How about homodialysis? What do you think? Thanks. It is 8/10/12 at 6:41pm the auto. time stamp on this site is way off.
P.S. I have to decide by next week so please if nothing else just tell me if I am too old to become a cna even though I will not settle there anyway as I do need to make more money but on the other hand, LVN school is tremendous debt. Damned if I do and if I don't! Surely cna would be valuable experience or do I really need it in the long run as a LVN or a RN? If I go this cna route, I will not go to a LVN school...just hang and be poor for about 3 yrs. as I get that RN! OR: I did see a ROP program not far from here for LVN but requires you to have a cna cert. to get in, plus fight off about a zillion people to get registered as I think they only take 25-30 students.

Last edit by angiedhutch on Aug 10, '12
: Reason: to insert date and correct time!

Aug 10, '12

cna,lvn or RN?

Aug 10, '12

This was supposed to be a response many pages back to a 60yr.old that said they were a new grad. but didn't say what kind. This will not let me delete this response! sorry.

Aug 17, '12

Hi just found this site. I have decided to return to school to become an RN. By the way I am 53 years old. Have a degree in Marketing and have been a a licensed childcare provider for the past 15 years. I am very nervous and unsure if this is the correct path to take. I have to retake all of my sciences, and now they tell me math also. I have always been interested in anything medical and adore any and all tv programs related to hospitals, advances in medicine, and research. I am not sure if I would want to be an RN in the ER. Pediatrics would interest me, but does that sound weird in that I took care of kids for so many years? How hard are the clinicals once you actually are admitted into the program. I think I calculated that I can enter the nursing program in a year. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Last edit by dlpainter on Aug 17, '12
: Reason: mispell

Aug 31, '12

I am 43 years old and attending nursing school as a second career. I am really excited about the opportunity but a little apprehensive at the same time. Good luck to all of you out there.